Arnaud  BERTHOMIEU


ONGOING PROJECTS

    Evolution and Epidemiology of Drug Resistance in Plasmodium
    PI : Ana Rivero
    Collaborators: Thierry Lefevre (CREES, MIVEGEC, Bobo-Dioulasso), Serge Yerbanga (IRSS Bobo Dioulasso), Anna Cohuet and Isabelle Morlais (MIVEGEC Montpellier), Sandrine Nsango (Institute Pasteur Yaounde), Antoine Berry (CPTP Toulouse), Sylvain Gandon (CEFE Montpellier)
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    The fate of drug resistant mutations depends on factors which we may be able to control, such as the rate and pattern of drug use. However, it also depends on factors over which we have no control, the most important of which is the biologic al cost that resistance imposes on the fitness of parasites. Drug resistance mutations are known to disrupt the parasite's metabolism, generating fitness costs. In drug-treated hosts these costs are largely compensated by the benefits conferred by the resistance. In untreated hosts, however, the magnitude of these costs will determine whether these mutations will persist and spread in the population. The aim of this project is to investigate the biological costs of drug resistance in Plasmodium within the host, both in the field (Cameroun and Burkina Faso), and in the lab.

    Project funding: ANR EVODRUG (16-CE36-0001-01) 2016-2021
    [Photo credit: Rivero lab]

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    Invasive Mice and Rodent Malaria in Africa
    PI : Franck Prugnolle (CREES, MIVEGEC, Montpellier)
    Collaborators: Ana Rivero(CREES, MIVEGEC, Montpellier), Carine Brouat, Nathalie Charbonnel and Laurent Granjon (CBGP, Montpellier), Larson Boundenga and Barthélémy Ngoubangoye (CIRMF, Franceville) and Boris Makanga (IRET, Franceville)
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    Host shifts  are key processes in the evolution and diversification of host-parasite interactions and, as such, are considered to be one of the leading causes of the emergence of new infectious diseases and of the toll they impose on the health of humans, livestock and wildlife. The aim of this project is to study host shifts in rodent malaria (Plasmodium) parasites.

    In natura , rodent malaria distribution is limited to the Congo Basin its host range seems to be largely restricted to one main host species, the thicket rat inhabiting the lowland tropical forests (Grammomys poensis). Preliminary results obtained by Franck Prugnolle’s group from Gabon, have demonstrated the natural circulation of rodent malaria across a large range of wild rodent species in sylvatic environments. More surprisingly, however, his group has also detected a high prevalence of rodent malaria infections in house mice in some rural villages. The house mouse was introduced into coastal areas of the African continent with the arrival of the European settlers and has since expanded its range, capturing new local pathogens along the way including rodent malaria agents in Gabon.

    The project aims are to reply to the following questions: How and in which habitat this host shift from the native to the invasive rodent (the house mouse) occurred? What mosquito species have played a role of bridge between the natural sylvatic hosts and the invasive human-commensal host? How has the parasite adapted genetically and phenotypically to the new host and how has the host in turn responded to this new parasite species?

    Funding: ANR MICETRAL
    [Photo credit  : B Dupont]

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    Evolutionary Epidemiology of Malaria in the Wild
    PI : Sylvain Gandon (CEFE, Montpellier)
    Collaborators: Ana Rivero(CREES, MIVEGEC, Montpellier), Anne Charmantier, Samuel Caro and Arnaud Gregoire (CEFE, Montpelllier)
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    Molecular studies have revealed a previously unexpected level of diversity in avian malaria parasites. There are currently around 600 mitochondrial  cyt-b lineages described of avian Plasmodium .In addition, a vian malaria  is very prevalent (up to 90% birds infected, depending on the region) and widespread (it is present in all continents except Antarctica). Extensive  sampling across large geographical regions and among very different bird species has revealed the existence of a broad diversity of host ranges among different lineages. Some  lineages are generalist and can infect a large number of bird species,  while many other lineages are restricted to a few bird species. The factors governing the relative abundance and the coexistence of these different lineages at  large geographical scales remains a puzzle.

    This project aims to link the dynamics of Plasmodium  genetic diversity in the wild, with measures of key life‐history phenotypes of generalist and specialist Plasmodium lineages in  the lab.

    Funding: ANR EVOMALWILD
    [Photo credit:  F Franklin]

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RELEVANT   PUBLICATIONS         Click here for the full list

    Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem
    Berthomieu (2018)
    Trends in Parasitology,

    click for abstract ...
     

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MAIN  COLLABORATORS

Sylvain Gandon
CEFE, Montpellier

Web page


Franck Prugnolle
CREES, Montpellier

Web page


Olivier Duron
CREES, Montpellier

Web page


Olof Hellgren
Lund University

Web Page


Arthur Talman
CREES, Montpellier

Web page


Milena Svobodová
Charles University Prague

Web page



PHOTO GALLERY

Our photo of Plasmodium relictum oocysts makes the cover of Trends in Parasitology
Photo: © Rivero lab
Plasmodium relictum oocyst through a scanning electron microscope
Photo: © Rivero lab
Field site in Burkina Faso, drug resistance project.

Photo: © Manon Villa
Field site in Cameroun, drug resistance project.

Photo: © Manon Villa
Plasmodium relictum  parasites inside nucleated red blood cells.
Photo: © Rivero lab
Oocysts through the optical microscope

Photo: © Rivero lab
Culex pipiens pupa.


Photo: © Flore Zélé
Culex pipiens larva.


© Credit Flore Zélé
Centre for Research on the Ecology and Evolution of DiseaSes
Montpellier

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